TROPICAL STORM DEBBY LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
851 PM EDT SUN JUN 24 2012

...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS CONTINUE ACROSS THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND AS DEBBY CONTINUES TO MOVE SLOWLY NORTH...

.NEW INFORMATION...

DEBBY REMAINS STATIONARY OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AS SQUALLS AND HEAVY RAIN AFFECT FLORIDA.  DEBBY IS STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY NORTHWARD OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK.  WATCHES AND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS ISSUANCE.

.AREAS AFFECTED...

THIS LOCAL STATEMENT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND MARINE INTERESTS IN SELECT LOCATIONS AND COASTAL WATER LEGS OF THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE... FLORIDA BIG BEND... SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA AS WELL AS THE GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL
WATERS FROM DESTIN TO THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER.

.WATCHES/WARNINGS...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... INLAND BAY... CALHOUN... INLAND GULF... INLAND FRANKLIN... LIBERTY... SOUTH WALTON... COASTAL BAY... COASTAL GULF... COASTAL FRANKLIN... COASTAL JEFFERSON... COASTAL WAKULLA... COASTAL TAYLOR AND COASTAL DIXIE.

FOR MARINE INTERESTS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR ALL OF GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND FLORIDA BIG BEND.  PLEASE LISTEN CLOSELY FOR ANY FLOOD WARNINGS THAT MIGHT BE IN EFFECT FOR YOUR AREA.

A TORNADO WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND THE GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL WATERS FROM OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER.  PLEASE LISTEN CLOSELY FOR ANY TORNADO WARNINGS THAT MIGHT BE IN EFFECT FOR YOUR AREA.

.STORM INFORMATION...

AT 8 PM EDT... OR 7 PM CDT... THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM DEBBY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.3N... LONGITUDE 86.0W.  THIS WAS ABOUT 180 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TALLAHASSEE FL... OR ABOUT 130 MILES SOUTH OF PANAMA CITY FL.  STORM MOTION WAS STATIONARY MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE. STORM INTENSITY WAS 60 MPH.

.SITUATION OVERVIEW...

TROPICAL STORM DEBBY IS NEARLY STATIONARY OR DRIFTING SLOWLY NORTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO.  STRONG RAIN BANDS WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT COASTAL AREAS OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.  A SLOW NORTH OR NORTHEASTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS... PROLONGING THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS.  DANGEROUS STORM SURGE FLOODING IS BECOMING A CONCERN... PARTICULARLY IN APALACHEE BAY.

.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DURING THE STORM... STAY INSIDE AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.  DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE WHEN HIGH WINDS ARE OCCURRING OR DURING TEMPORARY LULLS AS FLYING DEBRIS CAN EASILY... AND SUDDENLY... CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY.

HAVE A WELL-CHARGED CELL PHONE NEARBY... KEEPING NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE FOR EMERGENCIES.

CLOSELY MONITOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB PAGES OR LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS FOR OFFICIAL STORM INFORMATION.  LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE FORECAST.

FOR SMALL CRAFT WHO FAILED TO MAKE IT TO SAFE HARBOR OR PORT... AND ARE NOW IN DISTRESS... RADIO YOUR SITUATION ACCORDING TO MARITIME PROTOCOL.  IF APPROPRIATE... DEPLOY YOUR EMERGENCY DISTRESS BEACON.  ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS WEARING LIFE JACKETS... AND SURVIVAL SUITS IF AVAILABLE.

.NEXT UPDATE...

THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

COASTAL FRANKLIN-COASTAL JEFFERSON-COASTAL WAKULLA-
851 PM EDT SUN JUN 24 2012

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE CONTINUING TO OCCUR ACROSS THE WARNING AREA.  LISTEN CAREFULLY TO ANY EVACUATION ORDERS PROVIDED BY YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT... PARTICULARLY IN LOW LYING AREAS PRONE TO COASTAL FLOODING.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS IN FRANKLIN COUNTY FOR SAINT GEORGE ISLAND... ALLIGATOR POINT... AND LOW LYING FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS IN WAKULLA COUNTY FOR LOW LYING AND COASTAL AREAS SOUTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 98.

IF YOU ARE URGED TO EVACUATE... HEED THE ADVICE OF YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.  FOR INFORMATION RELATED TO OTHER EVACUATIONS AND STORM SHELTERS IN YOUR AREA... PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.

...WINDS...

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES THROUGH WEDNESDAY.  BECAUSE OF THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF DEBBY... WINDS MAY NOT FALL BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE UNTIL THURSDAY.

DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY.  SOME POORLY ANCHORED MOBILE HOMES WILL BE PRONE TO DAMAGE.  OTHER HOMES MAY HAVE DAMAGE TO SHINGLES... SIDING... GUTTERS AND WINDOWS... ESPECIALLY IF THESE ITEMS ARE NOT PROPERLY SECURED.  LOOSE OUTDOOR ITEMS WILL BECOME AIRBORNE... CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE INJURY. POWER LINES WILL BE KNOCKED DOWN BY FALLING TREES... RESULTING IN SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.  MANY LARGE BRANCHES OF TREES WILL BE SNAPPED... AND A FEW TREES WILL BE UPROOTED.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...

COMBINED STORM SURGE AND ASTRONOMICAL TIDE WATERS OF 3 TO 6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL ARE LIKELY BEING REALIZED WITHIN AREAS CLOSER TO THE COAST AND RESULTING IN WORST CASE FLOOD INUNDATION OF 4 TO 7 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WITHIN PARTS OF THE SURGE ZONE.

BECAUSE OF THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF TROPICAL STORM DEBBY... A PROLONGED PERIOD OF COASTAL FLOODING IS LIKELY ACROSS THE WARNING AREA.  THIS FLOOD THREAT MAY CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY AND INCLUDE SEVERAL HIGH TIDE CYCLES.  RESIDENTS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIS LONG DURATION SITUATION.

FLOODING OF THIS MAGNITUDE PRESENTS A CRITICAL THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY... POTENTIALLY HAVING A MODERATE TO HIGH IMPACT.  THE CONCERN IS FOR THE CHANCE OF MODERATE TO MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING TO OCCUR IN AREAS WITHIN THE SURGE ZONE... RESULTING IN DAMAGING AND LIFE-THREATENING INUNDATION.  IF FLOODING OF THIS MAGNITUDE OCCURS... PEOPLE WITHIN THE THREATENED AREAS WHO FAILED TO HEED OFFICIAL EVACUATION ORDERS COULD FACE SIGNIFICANT INJURY OR DEATH AS FLOOD WATERS INCREASE.

COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE DAMAGE TO MANY HOMES AND BUSINESSES NEAR THE SHORE.  FLOOD WATERS MAY EXTEND A COUPLE OF MILES  INLAND... PARTICULARLY IN FRANKLIN AND WAKULLA COUNTIES.. FURTHER EXPANDING THE OVERALL THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

MODERATE TO MAJOR BEACH EROSION WILL OCCUR.  MANY ROADS WILL LIKELY BE DAMAGED OR WASHED OUT.

...INLAND FLOODING...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH DEBBY.  COASTAL AREAS CAN EXPECT AS MUCH AS 8 TO 10 INCHES THROUGH TUESDAY WITH LESSER VALUES OCCURRING FURTHER INLAND.  RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF THIS INTENSITY COULD EASILY CAUSE DANGEROUS FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS.

...TORNADOES...

ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND MONDAY AS THE STRONGER OUTER RAINBANDS OF DEBBY ROTATE ASHORE.

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